‘Amazing’ response to teenager Abi Longfellow’s kidney donor plea

People are rallying to support desperately-ill Yorkshire teenager Abi Longfellow in her search to find a lifesaving kidney donor.

The 15-year-old from Robin Hood suffers from an ultra-rare condition called Dense Deposit Disease (DDD) which stops her kidneys filtering waste from her blood.

She has been on the waiting list for a transplant for more than a year and over the weekend made an emotional plea for potential donors to come forward.

Her words clearly touched many hearts, with the renal transplant team at St James’s Hospital in Leeds receiving more than 100 calls on the back of the appeal.

Medics trying to identify a suitable match for the youngster are now working through the people who got in touch, focusing initially on those who are under 65, live in the UK and do not suffer from diabetes.

Stressing that more potential donors are still wanted, Abi’s mum Jo said: “What amazing news to be greeted with that so many people are now contacting the transplant co-ordinators offering to donate a kidney.

“The screening is so very thorough that many offers will end up being declined, but with more incredibly kind people continuing to come forward the chance of finding Abi a match is finally beginning to feel more hopeful. “

Jo would normally be a suitable donor for her daughter but in a cruel twist of fate cannot help as she herself suffers from a blood disorder.

Doctors initially hoped that Abi’s dad, Andy, might be a match but testing has raised fears that her body could reject his kidney.

People willing to sign up as potential donors are asked to ring the renal transplant team at Jimmy’s on 0113 206 4553.